The Southern herald., 1887-07-09
VERA BROPHY.
A Simple Love Story Of The Emer-
eld Isle.


What seas do not lovers sail on, what
hills do they not climb, what valleys
do they not exploreP You can not find
place SO solitary that It's sunshine has
not fallen on their happy faces; nor
crowded city where they have not made
part OF the busy, cheerful crowd.
The blue sky smiles on them every
where, green trees overarch them,
streams ripple attheir feet, and Alpine
SHOWS beat in their faces! Yet what
matters the snow or the storm, sun
shine or shadow, for does not love gIo-
rify every landp
And SO Erin to me was . land of true
delight, and her fields were the fairest
that ever sun shone on! Green fields
starred with daisies; tiny, wandering
brooks with crowds of violets and blue
bells on their banks; the golden furze
illuminating pages fairer than old
missal could ever boast; lovely glen
and smiling valleys fading in misty
sweetness; lakes lying like jewels in
the sunshine; and the everlasting hills,
standing blue and shadowy in the dis
tance. The woods themselves might
we'll be the abode Of fairies, such was
their weird loveliness; trees with their
trunks and branches covered with moss
of many and many years growth. /.
ivy running over the moss, and sweet
wild flowers taking root and blossom
ing there, making garlands OF beauty
for the mid air!
A week before we had reached
Queenstown, and spent some days
there; and then brief stay at Cork,
and had come alone to Killarney to
see the meeting Of the waters, to wake
the lonely echoes of the Eagles Nest,
to visit sweet Innisfallen, to toll up
Carran Tual and descend through the
Black valley. to sit on the old hearth
stone in Kate Kearney's cottage, and
to do whatever else q romantic interest
should prompt, while the rest of the
party went over to indulge in two
weeks gaiety in Dublin before COM
ing, for little rest to Killarney.
1t has always been part Of my creed
that it was horribly selfish to go away
into any land of delight alone; to gaze
on the loveliest features Of natures
face without human soul for COM
panion, into whose ear you could poul
all your feryid admiration; and SC
when, after many years of great
expectation, l found could
really afford to travel,
looked about me for some one else tC
enjoy it too. There was my cousin,
Mamie Kemp, and Miss Roland and
her mother, who were awaiting JUS
such chance, and so we made up {
party of four and started in gay, goot
humor with ourselves and the rest o.
the world; but at Cork there had beer
sudden inundation.
Three of my bachelor friends hat
swept into sight, and our quiet party
was quiet and contented no longer.
Old castles and cathedrals lost theil
charms; long drives under the sweet
luburnum branches, which. with their
dropping blossoms, we had learned to
call by its real Irish name, Shower o
Gold, ceased to interest, when put in
the scale with parties and hops ant
one real ball, to which there were sure
te be invitations awaiting them, if the.
went direct to Dublin.
Mamie was ready for fun, always
but Miss Roland / had rather counties
on as ready to go wherever beckoned
We had been very good friends for a
least eighteen months, and l knew
quite well that gracious approva
was waiting on her mothers smiling
lips, but though l had been half-a-dozel
times on the verge of declaration
which would have left me no choic
but to go where she chose, Ihad alway
caught myself just in time; so whe
she, with the rest, voted enthusiastic
ally for Dublin, l decided to go alon
to the lakes and await their arrival.
When once there, free to indulge m
own fancies, made pilgrimages to a
the romantic spots any one could te
me Of, spending whole days on til
water or the mountain side, alone wit
my good staff and luncheon-box, tn
contents of which / shared with numel
Gus rosy-cheeked lads and lassiei
coaxed to my side with the welcom
Jingle of silver small coin.
It was when sitting one day on b
of broken rock, making a penc
sketch of two curly-headed boys, twin
in an overfowing cabin where ther
were thirteen happy children, ever
one with blue of the skies in thei
laughing eyes, and the gold Of the sun
shine tangled in their hair, that fir'
saw Vera Brophy. She was comm
; down the steep, rocky path, wit
just light scarf thrown over h'
head, its fleecy ends floating benin
her, and she paused and stood on I'll
!, toe, looking for some one, one ia
hand shading her beautiful eyes.
she is looking for us" said Del
mis-, in an admiring whisper.
|. rgnra. it's for nobody else, b